Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has invited Qatari investors to “explore new avenues of collaboration” under the government’s Special Investment Facilitation Council framework, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Friday. The SIFC is body that was set up in 2023 with the objective to assist with foreign investments. PM Shehbaz invited Qatari investments under its framework during a meeting with Qatar’s Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani in Islamabad today. According to Radio Pakistan, PM Shehbaz underscored during the meeting the importance of enhancing bilateral trade and investment cooperation highlighted opportunities in this connection in energy, agriculture, food security, information technology, tourism and infrastructure development sectors. “The prime minister expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of Pakistan-Qatar relations, anchored in shared faith, values, and mutual respect,” the report said. It added that the premier also appreciated ...

• Customs clearance suspended at border stations; tomatoes among items becoming dearer • Official sees no chance of opening border before Istanbul summit on 26th QUETTA / ISLAM­ABAD: Border closures between Pakistan and Afghanistan for over 12 days on Thursday have pushed up prices of essential goods in both nations, with tomatoes now costing five times more in Pakistan since fighting broke out between the two neighbours this month and transit trade coming to a halt. Border crossings bet­ween the two countries have remained closed since Oct 11, following ground fighting and Pakistani airstrikes across their 2,600km frontier that killed dozens on both sides in the worst fighting since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover of Kabul. “We have no information when the border with Afghanistan will be opened,” a senior official of the Chaman administration said. The official added that even though the traders and the people involved in import and export are demanding the reopening of the border, but no decision has been made ...

• KP says ‘ban’ on inter-provincial movement of commodity violates Article 151(1) • Warns of shortages, risks to food security • Sindh accuses Punjab of halting supply of wheat seed; seeks PM’s intervention PESHAWAR / KARACHI: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Thursday asked Punjab to withdraw restrictions on the inter-provincial movement of wheat and flour, warning that the curbs are disrupting supply chains, increasing prices and threatening food security in the province. Meanwhile, the PPP leadership in Sindh also lashed out at the Punjab government, accusing it of restricting the supply of wheat seed. In a letter to his Punjab counterpart, KP’s food secretary said that lifting the ban was critical to res­t­oring a smooth supply chain, stabilising market prices, and safeguarding his province’s food security. The letter said KP, a wheat-deficient province, depends on inter-provincial supplies from Punjab to meet its requirements — roughly 14,500 tonnes per day. “The prevailing restrictions have severely ...

Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen hit out at the Pakistan Super League (PSL) management late on Thursday, stating he is “unhappy at their mediocre mindset”, after his franchise was issued a legal notice threatening suspension over breach of contractual obligations. Earlier in the day, the PSL management had acted following repeated public statements by Tareen criticising the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and PSL, and had sought a public apology if the latter wished to avoid legal proceedings. The move marked a significant escalation in the simmering tensions between the board and the Multan franchise. Tareen then posted a video on social media platform X on Thursday night, in which he could be seen holding what seemed to be the legal notice sent by the PSL management, saying he wanted to apologise but demanded better of the league organisers. Making sharp remarks targeted the PSL management, he ended the video by tearing up what seemed to be the legal notice he had received. Tareen had stoked the fire in April w...

The record remains unblemished, the streak grows more formidable. MMA fighter Rizwan “The Haider” Ali, reinforced his status as kryptonite for Indian adversaries, systematically dismantling Rana Rudra Pratap Singh “The Rajput” to secure a first-round technical knockout at the Absolute Championship Akhmat in Dubai’s Agenda Arena on Thursday. The victory marks his fourth win over an Indian opponent in two years — a perfect finishing rate he has maintained against all of them, keeping his pristine professional record intact at 11-0. The tension was palpable from the start, a fuse lit long before the first punch was thrown. It manifested in a telling moment during the fighter introductions: Rizwan and Rudra Pratap (12-3) refused a glove touch, a silent acknowledgment that this was more than sport. This was conflict. From the opening bell, the clash was charged with the weight of the cross-border rivalry. Rudra Pratap, a 28-year-old force from Lucknow, shot for an immediate takedown, aiming to ground the aerial as...

Islamabad - A senior Islamabad police officer reportedly shot himself inside the official vehicle when he was on his way from the Constitution Avenue to his office in sector I-9 on Thursday evening, with Inspector General (IG) Islamabad Police, Ali Nasir Rizvi, casting a doubt it was a suicide case.

ISLAMABAD - A larger bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Thursday directed Superintendent Adiala jail to implement a March 24 court order that reinstated twice-a-week meeting schedule for former prime minister Imran Khan.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Poland yesterday reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in a wide range of fields, including trade, energy, defence, counter-terrorism, education, technology, and fintech, as both nations vowed to build on their historic friendship and ex-pand strategic ties.

ISLAMABAD - Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), HJ, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) is currently on an official visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt.

ISLAMABAD - Chairman Senate of Pakistan, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, held a productive virtual meeting with the President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Republic, Mr.

ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) yesterday clarified that the local government elections in Punjab will be conducted soon after the completion of the delimitation process.

ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday suspended a single-bench ruling that had struck down a clause in the Punjab Prison Rules banning political discussions among inmates, while also hearing petitions on jail visit rights for the PTI founder.

ISLAMABAD - Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar has observed that the Constitutional Bench and the apex court are not separate entities.

ISLAMABAD - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was not allowed to meet incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan when he reached Adiala Jail yesterday even after the court’s clear instructions to the jail authorities to arrange their meeting.

Peshawar - Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi on Thursday said that lawyers have always played a vital role in politics and in the struggle for the supremacy of the Constitution.

Pakistan, in a joint statement with 14 other nations, condemned Tel Aviv’s attempt to impose “Israeli sovereignty” over the occupied West Bank, after the Israeli parliament passed bills on annexing the West Bank, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Thursday. On Wednesday, Israeli lawmakers voted to advance two bills on annexing the occupied West Bank, barely a week after US President Donald Trump pushed through a deal aimed at ending Israel’s two-year military offensive in the Gaza Strip. Trump has warned that Israel would lose its crucial backing from the United States if it annexes the occupied West Bank. In a statement issued today, the FO condemned “in strongest terms the approval of the Israeli Knesset of two draft laws aiming to impose a so-called ‘Israeli sovereignty’ over the occupied West Bank”, calling it a “blatant” violation of international law. The joint statement was signed by 14 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkiye. The FO noted that the move violated the “United Nations Se...

A superintendent of police (SP) posted in Islamabad passed away on Thursday after sustaining critical injuries from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot near Serena Chowk. He was rushed to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), where he succumbed to his injuries. A police official told APP that police teams reached the site immediately after the incident, cordoned off the area, and collected forensic evidence. Senior police officials launched a detailed investigation into the circumstances surrounding the event. According to police sources, the SP was a respected officer of the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) and had recently assumed charge as SP Industrial Area, Islamabad. A day earlier, the police official visited a doctor of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), at his private clinic, and informed the medical practitioner that he was having suicidal ideation. Psychiatrist Dr Sultan Muhammad, who checked the SP, suggested he take leave and get admitted to Pims, but the deceased infor...

Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to improved defence and military cooperation with Egypt, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday. Pakistan and Egypt share long-standing bilateral relations. In May, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s desire for stronger bilateral ties with Pakistan in a phone call with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Last week, Pak­istan and Egypt agreed to enhance cooperation in the maritime and industrial sectors, aiming to foster joint ventures and promote their blue economies. According to military’s media wing, in a meeting with Egyptian defence officials, Field Marshal Munir discussed “matters of mutual interest, regional security situation and bilateral defence cooperation”. The army chief, during his official visit to the country, called on the Egyptian Minister of Defence and Defence Production General Abdul Maged Saqar and Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces Lieutenant General ...

The federal government on Thursday approved a ban on the religiopolitical party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan under the anti-terrorism act (ATA) following violent protests earlier this month. The decision was taken in a meeting of the federal cabinet that deliberated on a recommendation by the Punjab government to ban the party. A press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) after the meeting said the ban was “unaimously” approved by the federal cabinet. It added that the interior ministry presented the summary to the federal cabinet on the Punjab government’s request and a briefing was provided on the “violent and terrorist activities of TLP in the country”. “The meeting was informed that this organisation, established since 2016, has incited violence across the country. Due to the organisation, incidents of violence have occurred in different parts of the country,” it added. It pointed out that the TLP was banned in 2021 as well, which was lifted after 6 months on the condition that unrest and vio...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister (DPM/FM), Senator Ishaq Dar on Thursday reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to the ideals and principles of the United Nations Charter, calling for a renewed spirit of multilateralism and reform to meet the challenges of a changing world.